The Once and Future King Reading Questions Wart s Lessons

Transcription

1 Wart s Lessons Directions: Throughout the book, Wart learns important lessons through his experiences with several different animals. In 3-4 sentences, summarize what Wart learned from each of his experiences. 1. Fish 2. Hunting birds 3. Ants 4. Geese 5. The Hedgehog 6. The Badger 1

2 Directions: Complete the following Questions as you read through the book. Each question should be answered as fully as possible in complete sentences. Chapters 1-4, pp Vocabulary mews (14) cabalistic (29) melancholy (21) benevolent (29) vacuously (24) phoenix (30) zodiac (28) necromantic (39) Chapter 1 1. Why doesn t Kay have a nickname? 2. Why does the author explain that he has modernized the school and wine the knights are discussing? 3. Describe Sir Ector s castle and village. 4. What activity does the whole community do in July? Describe each group s role. 2

3 5. Describe the mews. 6. Why does Wart worry about taking out Cully? Were his fears justified? Chapter 2 1. What does it tell us about Wart s character that he stayed with Cully? 2. What gets Wart s attention while he is sitting under a tree? 3. What is the most beautiful thing he had seen in his short life? 4. What reason does Wart have for thinking that the ghostly knight would help him? 5. How long has King Pellinore been questing? 6. What are fewmets? 7. Is King Pellinore a good knight? Why or why not? Chapter 3 1. What noise does Wart hear that draws him toward the cottage in the woods? 3

4 2. Describe Merlyn s appearance when Wart first meets him. 3. Who is Archimedes? 4. What is unusual about the breakfast that Wart shares with Merlyn? 5. How is Merlyn s life different from most people s? 6. What allusion to Greek mythology is present in this chapter? 7. Why is Wart so excited that Merlyn is going to be his teacher? Chapter 4 1. How did Merlyn and Wart catch Cully? 2. How did Merlyn prove he is a magician to Sir Ector? 3. What is Kay s reaction to the adults praising Wart? Chapters 5-7, pp Vocabulary barbican (41) panoply (63) labyrinth (42) portent (55) 4

5 jouster (56) Chapter 5 1. Describe the defenses of the Castle of the Forest Sauvage. 2. Who was the Dog Boy and what was his job? 3. What god changes Merlyn and Wart into fish? 4. What kinds of fish are Wart and Merlyn? Why is Merlyn respected by the other fish? 5. What is the advice about power that the King of the Moat gives to Wart? Chapter 6 1. What activity are the boys engaging in? 2. Explain the rules of Rovers. 3. What ill-omen do the boys witness just as they are about to head home? Chapter 7 1. What activity are the boys learning in this chapter? Why is it important? 5

6 2. Why will Wart not be a knight? 3. Why do King Pellinore and Sir Grummore joust? 4. Describe the combat between the two knights. 5. How does the combat end? Chapters 8-10, pp Vocabulary raptors (75) catechism (79) Chapter 8 1. What does Wart asked to be turned into on a rainy day? 2. What does Merlyn say the hawks talk about at night? 3. Where does Wart, as a merlin, fit into the hierarchy of the raptors? 4. What is the most important part of the hawks, according to their catechism? Why? 6

7 5. What offense did the priest commit? 6. What ordeal must Mart complete to finish his initiation? 7. How does the ordeal end for Wart? 8. What has Wart learned from his experience with the raptors in the mews? Chapter 9 1. Why is Kay upset with Wart? 2. Summarized the parable of Elijah and Rabbi Jachanan. 3. Explain the lesson that the parable is supposed to teach. 4. Why does Kay act so proud? 5. Why has Merlyn not changed Kay into anything? 6. What powers do Merlyn s backsight and insight give him? 7

8 Chapter How does Wart convince Kay to go on the adventure Merlyn has told Wart about? 2. Why does Wart believe that the glades must have been made, rather than natural? 3. Describe Little John. 4. What does Little John say that brings up two questions in the boys? What are the two questions? 5. What have the stories gotten wrong about Robin? 6. What are two common errors for people who do not know how to shoot a bow? 7. Describe the fairies that Morgan is the queen of. What other names do they go by? 8. What happened to Tuck, Wat, and the Dog Boy? 9. What allusion to The Odyssey is included in this chapter? 8

9 Chapters 11-15, pp Vocabulary griffin (104) hoarious (141) conundrum (119) feudal (131) tyranny (133) Chapter Why are Robin and his men outlaws? 2. Why do the fairies have a weakness to iron? 3. Why does Robin repeat his speech twice? 4. Describe a griffin. 5. What is the fairy castle made of? Does this have the effect Morgan le Fay was hoping for on the boys? 6. How does the rescue of the fairy s prisoners conclude? 9

10 Chapter What kills the griffin? 2. What does Wart ask of Robin as a present? What does Wart want with it? 3. What kind of homecoming do Kay and Wart receive? 4. What happens to Wart in the end? Chapter What phrase is written above the ants tunnels? What does this mean? 2. How is the ant language limited? 3. How and what do the ants eat? 4. What are the logical conclusions of the two lectures on war? 5. How do the ants react to the war lectures? Chapter What had to be done to prepare for the winter? 10

11 2. How did Sir Ector treat his villagers? 3. What does the King want from Sir Ector? What is Sir Ector s reaction to this news? 4. What does Sir Ector think of Robin Wood? Chapter How was the weather in Old England different from today s? BE SPECIFIC! 2. Why was there no turkey at Christmas dinner? 3. What ceremonies are performed at the Christmas feast? How do the townspeople react to them? Chapters 16-19, pp Vocabulary querulous (149) purgatory (165) potentate (176) Chapter Describe the attitude of William Twyti. What is the one thing that would get his attention? 11

12 2. How did the people of Old England hunt boar? 3. Why does the appearance of Robin make Sir Ector nervous? 4. Once the boar is sighted and the chase is on, who keeps up and who falls behind? 5. How is the boar killed? 6. What offense does King Pellinore commit that results in him being hit with a sword blade? 7. What condition is the Questing Beast in when King Pellinore finds it? How does the King react? What is ironic about this? Chapter What is Wart s favorite bird? Why? 2. What is Archimedes favorite bird? Why? 3. Where does Merlyn say that the language of birds comes from? 12

13 Chapter How does a bird land on a branch? 2. Why doesn t Archimedes allow Wart to hunt? 3. Describe the wind that Wart encounters on the sea shore. 4. What secret does Wart confess to the goose next to him? 5. Explain Lyo-lyok s view of war and fighting. Chapter Explain the geese s attitude toward private property. 2. How is an admiral elected? 3. Describe the island on which the birds stop. 4. What is special about the goose that the farmer nurses back to health? 5. When does Wart change back into a human? 13

14 Chapters 20-24, pp Vocabulary seneschal (206) anarchy (207) Chapter How long passes in this chapter? 2. How has Kay changed as time passes? 3. How does Merlyn change as time goes by? 4. What are the duties of a page? 5. What is the ceremony that makes someone into a knight? 6. Why does Merlyn begin munching on his beard? Chapter What does Merlyn say is the best thing for being sad? Why? 2. What does the hedgehog do that convinces Wart not to eat him? 3. Where did the hedgehog and Wart meet before? 14

15 4. Why won t the hedgehog uncurl even after Wart has said that he won t eat the hedgehog? 5. What are the two things that the badger can teach Wart? 6. According to the badger, how did man come to have dominion over all of the other animals? 7. What point about war is the badger making? Chapter How long did Uther Pendragon rule England? 2. Why does Sir Grummore keep repeating The King is dead. Long live the King? 3. Why is there no new king of England, now that Uther has died? 4. How will a new king be chosen? 5. Why are they worried about going to London? 15

16 6. Why is Merlyn leaving them? Chapter Where do they stay in London? 2. Describe the tilting grounds. 3. Why is Wart sent away from the tilting grounds alone? 4. What does Wart feel as he grabs the sword in the churchyard? 5. What happens that allows Wart to pull the sword out of the stone? 6. What is Kay s reaction when Wart gives him the sword? 7. What is Wart s reaction when he is told he will be king? Chapter What do the various people and animals Wart has met send him as coronation gifts? 2. Who is the first to address Wart as King Arthur? 16